FORMER World Cup centre Mayer says Neil Lennon's men proved "anyone can beat anyone on their day" - no matter the sport.

SCOTLAND have been urged to follow Celtic’s example if they want to beat the best team on
the planet.

Former World Cup centre Jamie Mayer insists the success of the Hoops against Barcelona should be used to inspire Andy Robinson’s side to beat the mighty All Blacks for the first
time.

And comeback star Richie Gray insists the Scots must also copy Celtic by trying not to give the ball away to more talented opponents.

Ex-Edinburgh back Mayer was on the receiving end of a New Zealand onslaught in the 1999 World Cup quarter-final.

And while he admits that on paper at least, there should only be one potential winner this weekend in the autumn Test opener, he is sure Celtic’s feat in the Champions League can
give his old team the belief that they can create history.

Mayer said: “Celtic’s victory over Barca was one of those events that captures
the imagination of everyone, no matter which sport they follow. It proved that anyone can beat anyone on their day. Like Celtic, the Scotland players will be lagging behind their opponents in terms of big-stage experience and raw ability – they are world champions after all.

“But if they get the mindset right and they catch the All Blacks when they may not be 100 per cent, then of
course they can pull off something special.

“Scotland have shown often enough in the past how well and bravely they can defend and then pick up crucial points on the break – they did it a few months ago when they beat Australia in Newcastle.

“That is also what Celtic did. They gave every ounce of physical effort they had and their attitude was spot
on, while Barca were playing fancy and entertaining football in vain.

“It was clear that the Celtic guys believed they could win and that sense of self-belief can never be overestimated.

Mayer,
now an investment manager, added: “Scotland coach Andy Robinson and his
back room team will have their own notions about how to get their players into peak physical and mental shape to face New Zealand.

“But I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets them to watch a rerun of the Celtic match.

“Of course the All Blacks will still
pitch up at Murrayfield as overwhelming favourites. But if the lads can
lay their bodies on the line with the grit and determination Celtic showed then there is at least a chance of a major upset.”

Fit-again Gray has warned there is no chance of that happening if the Scots get careless.

Two
years ago when the forward made his first Test start, Scotland battled bravely against the Kiwis. But all the good work was wrecked by turnovers which led to soft tries.

Gray said: “They are one of the best counter-attacking teams in the world.

“We’ll need to keep the ball. Mistakes do happen but it’s about us being sharp and getting into defence as quickly as possible.”

Gray,
who has confounded the medics by shaking off an ankle knock to declare himself fit, added: “There have been a few injuries but we’ve managed to
do all our drills and we’re very confident going into the game.

“There’s been a real energy around training.

“It will be very tough. It’s about getting in their faces, putting them under a lot of pressure and in defence working really hard for each other for 80 minutes.”

Scotland playmaker Greig Laidlaw is another of Robinson’s men in bullish mood ahead of Sunday’s Murrayfield showdown.

He said: “It would be outstanding if we beat them. As a group that’s our focus going into the weekend.

“If we were to do it, it would be the best victory for Scottish rugby ever, but it’s going to be a hard task.

“We respect New Zealand, they’re a top team, but we need to concentrate on ourselves.

“If we worry about them we’re beaten already. We need to go out there, do the things we’ve worked on in training and take it from there.”